Posted in Outside Left

The anti-Imperialism of fools

stopthewarEver since IS became the next big bogey to fill the USSR-sized gap in the perceived threats-to-our-existence market, I knew it would be a matter of time before an empty-headed comparison was made between Islamists scuttling into Syria and the volunteers who flocked to Spain to fight fascism in the 1930s. It was no surprise that such a facile observation would come at Stop the War (since deleted but quoted here) , nor that the media would be interested in their sayings and doings thanks to Jeremy’s long-standing links with them.

One of the things I find irritating about a section of the socialist left is its indifference to the politics of soft soaping whoever the White House or Downing Street take exception to internationally, which lets their opponents to lazily – but extremely easily – paint them as well-meaning fools, traitors, and what have you, thereby damaging anti-war causes. This, alas, is also a bind Jez has found himself tied up in. But also, there’s a certain intellectual dishonesty about the position. Continue reading →

The return of George Galloway to Labour – yes or no?

George Galloway at Stop The War protest in London, 24 Feb 2007. George Galloway. Scenes from Trafalgar Square, photo by David Martyn Hunt CC BY 2.0Ever since the election of Jeremy – and before – there has been whispering that the Gorgeous One, George Galloway will make a triumphant return to Labour. Ever since his expulsion from the party for “bringing it into disrepute” for suggesting that soldiers should disobey orders given by officers, it’s no secret that he has held out for a return. That is despite running against the party on a number of occasions, and – in 2005 and 2012 – winning two Parliamentary seats from it. There has always been an uneasy feeling among a section of the membership that a return was never ruled out.

The rumour mill ground out more nervous jitters last week with Ken Livingstone stating that Galloway should be allowed to return. Was he speaking from the heart or indulging some unlicensed kite-flying? No matter, at Monday’s PLP meeting, members of that august body stated in no uncertain terms that he shouldn’t be allowed back – a position apparently shared by the leader. Continue reading →

Opening up – Labour’s digital revolution must move on from its embryonic stage

<em>Image Copyright: <a href="http://www.123rf.com/profile_grandeduc">grandeduc / 123RF Stock Photo</a></em>“I have a vague desire to explore the political world” I said, only a month ago. That very day, I happened to be going to meet Ben Soffa, head of digital for the Jeremy Corbyn campaign. But that feels like a lifetime ago now as since then I’ve spent the vast majority of my time volunteering for that campaign, doing everything from wrangling CSV files to being Jeremy’s bodyguard.

Yesterday, in case you missed it, Jeremy Corbyn won the Labour leadership campaign with the biggest mandate from the largest electorate that any party leader has ever received.

I thought today, my one day off before I return to my regular paid work tomorrow, would be a good day to get some of my thoughts down.

Continue reading →

Could Jeremy Corbyn unite the Scottish Left?

Is there a scottish road to socialismThen catch the moments as they fly
And use them as ye ought, man.
Believe me, happiness is shy,
And comes not aye when sought, man.

Robert Burns, A Bottle and Friend

Here is surely a mutiny worth waiting for. Old hands and new recruits have swung into action for Jeremy Corbyn, the old sea dog of Labour socialism. A startled Captain Harman whipped her Labour MPs into supporting Osborne’s Welfare Reform Bill – Burnham dithered then walked the plank, and Cooper fell over a barrel. The media barrage will try and hit its mark, but, as Aneurin Bevan wrote soon before becoming Health Minister in 1945, “the national newspapers have become so accustomed to writing up personalities in place of principles that they have completely lost touch with the people.”  It’s not a personality that’s winning popular support, but a set of principles both radical and realistic. Blairite gabs can only gape as 40% of members intend to vote for Corbyn, who last week became the bookies’ favourite to lead the Party, and secured the most nominations from Constituency Labour Parties across the UK. Continue reading →

Jeremy Corbyn and hard left “Infiltration”

Jeremy CorbynThe press are not neutral arbiters when it comes to the Labour leadership contest. If they can use the debates between party members as a way of deepening divisions in the party, they will. At the forefront of these attempts is the so-called quality “paper of record” The Times, which of late is transforming itself into a straight propaganda sheet. Earlier this week, a fairly innocuous piece by Charles Falconer setting out his support for Andy Burnham was spiked with the headline “Women are not tough enough to lead Labour“. It was misleading bollocks as he said nothing of the sort. Nevertheless, it had the desired effect. The ‘Burnham is sexist’ meme got a lift before, the day after, The Times issued their mea culpa.

And now they’re at it again. The front page legend goes “Hard left plot to infiltrate Labour race“, with the subby “Harman urged to halt leadership vote“. It reads:

140,000 new activists are projected to have joined … with many signing up to back the hard left candidate….  The Communist Party of Great Britain (aka CPGB – Ed) has called on supporters to join and back Corbyn as part of its revolutionary “strategy”.

Then we see “Labour MPs say” their CLPs are being flooded with lefties (of course, these sources go unattributed). Let’s unpack some of this.  Continue reading →